


Cold Coffee

by SilverScaler3000



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: (Loki is just a big old cinnamon bun in this), (why did I make him so cute?), Angst with a Happy Ending, Avoiding Sleep, Awkwardness, Coffee, Dreams and Nightmares, Feels, First Kiss, Flashbacks, Fluff, Insecure Loki (Marvel), Jarvis' Sass, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, M/M, Misunderstandings, Not Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Compliant, One Shot, Plot, Shy Loki (Marvel), Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2020-09-24 23:33:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20366926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverScaler3000/pseuds/SilverScaler3000
Summary: "I am a kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy." - J. D. SalingerOr, the one where Tony thinks its a bit odd that whenever he feels like having a cup of coffee, one just happens to be by him.





	Cold Coffee

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AMidnightDreary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMidnightDreary/gifts).

> So, this fic is actually REALLY old. 
> 
> It got buried under a lot of other stuff around November of 2018. 
> 
> I hope you all - especially you, Midnight - enjoy this porn-free fluff! (I know, I'm as shocked as you are)

“Augh!”

The shout echoed in the lab, followed a moment later by the telltale sound of something metalic hitting the floor. Tony hissed, shaking his hand to make his abused fingers stop throbbing. “Shit!” he snarled. “Dammit.” 

He brought his index finger to his mouth, sucking it lightly while grumbling under his breath, cursing his own stupidity. His finger throbbed on his tongue, and when Tony pulled the digit out a moment later, he winced as a drop of blood welled to the surface.

“Stupid, idiot, moron,” the inventor rambled off angrily. “Of all the stupid things I could have done, hitting my own goddamn hand with a hammer has got to be the frickin' worst. Howard has to be rolling in his grave.”

He waited until the offended finger was no longer throbbing, then sighed tiredly, rubbing his bloodshot eyes with his good hand. “Stupid,” he said again.

“_Sir,_” Jarvis spoke calmly, “_Might I suggest you turn in for the night? It is currently one in the morning, and Captain Rogers was most insistent that you attend the Avengers meeting scheduled in ten hours._”

Tony scowled, wishing he had given Jarvis a face so that he didn’t feel like he was giving the room a dirty look, rather than his A.I. “No can do Jarv,” he said. “I have way too much work.”

They both knew this wasn’t exactly true, but Jarvis mercifully didn’t comment. Tony always had more work than he knew what to do with (and then some), that was absolutely true. Though, it didn’t mean he lacked the time to hit the sack. He had more than enough most days.

The reality was he avoided sleep like the plague.

Dreams tormented him at night; terror and blood and _desperation, _all curled into short minutes - or agonizingly long hours, depending on how quickly he woke up screaming. Tony shuddered at the thought of his most recent one, trying and failing to banish the horrible images from his conscious. 

_New York burning in the night_

_Chitauri running rampant in the streets_

_The Avenger’s getting captured, Pepper and Rhodey’s **bodies**-_

Tony had to clench his fists to stop them from trembling. His mind was made up. He would rather collapse from exhaustion than willing let the terrors of his mind haunt him.

The sound of an angry beep pulled Tony out of his thoughts, and he turned his head. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched DUM-E. The ‘bot was struggling to bring him a box of band-aids. He kept dropping it, stopping to pick them back up again, repeat, his growing frustration obvious with each failure.

Tony chuckled and walked over to him, smiling wider as DUM-E chirped happily at his creator. Tony gave him an affectionate pat then bent down to collect the bandaids himself, saving the little ‘bot from any more torturous work. As he straightened back up, he couldn’t help but think that he should probably give DUM-E an upgrade of some kind, like a better claw.

“Too much work,” he muttered again. “I, I can’t go to sleep yet, J. Not yet.” It sounded weak even to his own ears, but Tony ignored the doubt in his own voice. 

“_Sir-_”

“Jarvis, tell me to go asleep _one _more time, and I’ll make you a plug so that I can unplug you.”

“_I’m shaking in my circuits,_” the A.I. deadpanned. 

Tony scoffed at him, but after a moment simply sighed and smiled fondly. He sat back down at the worktable, putting on the band-aid as he stared at the schematic in front of him, willing away any and all thoughts of sleep. Absently, he picked up a cup of coffee that rested on the hard surface beside him, and brought it to his lips. The steam made his eyes flutter shut, and he groaned appreciatively as the warmth of the hot beverage settled in his body, simultaneously relaxing and invigorating him. “Right,” he said. “Let’s see, I was-"

He continued to work for the next two hours, taking sips from the coffee mug in between each project. In the end, he accomplished much more than he had hoped to, and - after Jarvis' insistence - was even able to sneak in a few pleasantly dreamless hours of sleep before the meeting. 

It was only much, much later, that Tony realized he had no clue where the coffee had come from.

_~oOo~_

Over the next few weeks, Tony began to notice that something seemed a bit… _off_. 

Okay, ‘off’ sounded a bit ominous, and, as far as Tony could tell, nothing bad was happening. So, maybe just weird? Unusual? Either way, it was a constant itch at the back of his mind that demanded to be scratched, and Tony really couldn’t stand those.

What was bothering him was this:

Whenever he needed a coffee or even just craved one, a mug full of said liquid life would happen to be by him. And wasn’t just any coffee, it was _ Tony’s _coffee, the coffee he usually took a painstakingly long time to make. Tony never realized until long after he had consumed the beverage that something was amiss, which, hell, he should know better by now not to let his guard down, even in his own home. To be fair though, he was normally too hell-bent on finishing a project to really even notice the coffee; he simply drank it with little fanfare and brushed off his confusion as paranoia. 

After a few months of this though, it became clear that wasn’t the case. Still one for denial, however, he eventually came to the conclusion that one of the Avengers had been placing them beside him. That or Pepper was doing it, despite her attempts in the past to make him stop drinking it so often. 

It was either one of those things. Maybe even Tony had just been frequently forgetting that he had brewed it for himself. 

That had to be it. 

_~oOo~_

Yeah, scratch that. That so wasn't it.

On one particular day Tony was bringing a coffee mug to his lips, completely enrapt in what he was working on, when he paused suddenly, frowning.

“No, no wait,” he muttered, glaring at the equations in front of him. “That isn’t- _ ow! _” He put the coffee down hastily, shaking his hand. “Mug’s too hot,” he hissed. “Dammit how is it...” He trailed off, staring at the mug a little harder. “Jarvis?”

“_Yes sir? _” the A.I. responded.

“Has this cup of coffee always been here?”

“_It appeared on the desktop approximately two minutes ago, sir._”

Tony stood up and backed away slowly, eyeing the mug as if he expected it to explode. “Okay, _one_, define 'appeared', Jarvis,” he demanded. “And two, why the hell didn’t you say anything!?”

“_I scanned it, sir, it is perfectly safe,_” the Jarvis said, ever calm and collected. “I_t is as I said, sir, it appeared on the table next to you around the time you had started yawning. Perhaps you should turn in._”

“Ah ah ah,” Tony said, looking very pointedly at the ceiling. “You just changed the subject. That's what daddy does, not you. Tell me how this coffee got here, _ now._”

Jarvis remained silent for a few moments, then a short burst of static met Tony’s ears, almost as if his A.I. were sighing. “_I believe Mr. Odinson was the one who sent it to you sir,_” he said.

Tony’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Thor?” he asked incredulously. “But he doesn’t even know how to-”

Then it clicked with him just which Odinson Jarvis was referring to. “_Oh, _” he murmured. “You mean, Loki?”

“_Indeed._”

After the mage had been very effectively smashed by the Hulk during the Battle of New York, Tony had noted that his eyes had changed color; from the same ominous blue of the scepter, to a dark, emerald green. Tony had brought it up with Thor as he was taking Loki away, and the Thunderer looked hopeful, saying that he would look into it. Less than a month later, Thor came back in a beam of rainbows - Tony had made fifty-three gay jokes (and counting) about that, and had absolutely no intention of stopping - with an unbound Loki in tow.

They had appeared in Norway (go figure), and waited patiently for everyone to arrive before explaining the situation to them.

“_My brother too was under the influence of the mind stone_,” Thor had told the team of heroes and several armed SHIELD agents patiently. “_He has come, under the order of the Allfather, to make amends for what he has done_.”

Fury had been pissed as hell, to say the least, and had demanded that they lock Loki up again. Thor had told him no, flatly, and had then made the argument that if Clint was blameless, so was Loki.

Tony had thought that was a fair point, but apparently, not everyone else did.

Clint had flat out rejected the idea, especially when Thor requested that Loki to stay in the tower. Before Tony could even get a word in - it was _ his _ tower, _ his _ decision, after all - Thor and Clint had started yelling at each other, joined only moments later by Steve and Fury. Natasha had just looked on in that ‘I look bored but I could kill you in an instant if I wanted to’ kind of way, and Tony had been taking all of it with warring amusement and anger. After a few minutes, however, turned to Loki, curious to see how he was handling all of this. It wasn’t at all what he expected.

The mage was just standing there, looking incredibly uncomfortable as his fate was decided for him. He kept his head down, and didn’t say anything in his defense. It reminded Tony of a puppy, waiting to get hit in the nose with a newspaper. The sight alone was what made him decide that he had finally had enough.

He had walked calmly up to the Asgardian's, exiting his suit the last few steps. Cap’ had tried to call him back, but Tony ignored him. Instead, he kept walking forward and didn’t stop until he was standing less than a foot away from Loki, who was eyeing him warily. “So you were brainwashed too, huh?” he asked, staring at the so-called ‘God’ challengingly.

Loki's eyes had narrowed, but then he nodded. “Yes,” he spoke carefully, the first word he had said since they had all surrounded him and his brother. “The Mad Titan, Thanos, had me under his influence.” He clenched his fists, the white tips of his knuckles somehow managing to make him look even paler. “But no longer.”

Tony nodded, thinking. “So you throwing me out of the window wasn’t your choice?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Loki winced at that. “Not, _entirely,_” he admitted, with what Tony thought was a rather adorably sheepish smirk. “But I do regret the action.”

Tony laughed, and Loki blinked a couple of times, staring at him in confusion. “Good,” Tony told him, “Because if you’re going to be living in my tower, _not _throwing me out of the windows is one of the more important rules to live by. Don’t worry though, you’re not the only one who wants to do it, so I’m sure you and the other’s will all get along just fine.” He then stuck out his hand for Loki to shake, grinning. “Tony Stark. Playboy, philanthropist, etc, etc. I offered you a drink once, still want it?”

Loki had looked completely gob smacked, but after a few brief moments, he had smirked, and proceeded to grasp Tony’s hand in a firm - and yet somehow delicate - shake. “_Loki,_” he said, “And yes, a drink would be lovely.”

Loki had been living in the Tower for over half a year now, and Tony could honestly say he was not only used to the trickster's presence, but that he _enjoyed _it.

The mage mostly kept to himself, but eventually everyone, even Clint, grew to count on him during their fights. He was an incredible asset, and Tony had come to realize that he had a sharp mind that matched his silver tongue. They bantered a lot, often arguing over physics, mathematics, and which realm had the better foods (Tony still thought Pizza was the ultimate win. Loki was less than impressed).

Although, now that he thought about it, Tony realized that they hadn’t ever actually gotten around to that drink. The second Loki had gotten settled in, a threat had risen up, and soon after that Tony had gotten swamped with paperwork for Stark Industries. Then he had to fix his suit, more would be villains attacked, work piled up, and…

Wow, did Tony feel like a jerk for not fixing this sooner. 

He picked up the coffee again, sniffing at the steam that drifted from the mug. It definitely smelled like his coffee, and if his paranoia was right, Loki had been providing him with it for months now. He pursed his lips and tried to gather his thoughts. “Hey, Jarvis?” he called out after a few seconds.

“_Yes sir? _”

“Is Loki in the Tower?”

“_Mr. Odinson is currently residing on his floor. Shall I request that he come down to speak with you? _”

Tony thought for a moment, but then shook his head. “No,” he said, standing up and beginning to walk out of his lab. “I think I’ll go see him.”

_~oOo~_

“Stark,” Loki greeted from where he was sitting on a sofa, a book resting in his lap. “To what do I owe this surprise visit?”

Tony smiled, stepping out of the elevator. “I thought I told you to call me Tony,” he said reproachfully as he walked towards him.

The mage smirked. “Very well then, _ Anthony_,” he responded playfully. 

“Ass,” Tony muttered under his breath, ignoring Loki's chuckle. “So anyways,” he said, louder, “I thought it was about time we had that drink.” 

“Is that so?” Loki asked, flicking his fingers absently. The text seemingly vanished from where it had rested on his lap - probably sent to one of the mage's pocket dimensions. “I was wondering when you were planning on getting around to that,” he drawled as he rose to his feet. “After all, I’ve been here for all of seven midguardian months, and have yet to even hear you mention it again.”

Tony winced, fighting the urge to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. “Yeah yeah, I’ve been a jerk,” he conceded. “So," he clapped his hands together, grinning. "I was thinking we’d go get some coffee. Figured I owe you a couple dozen.”

Loki’s eyes widened minutely in surprise. “You’ve found me out then,” he said, chuckling. “Of course you did.”

“Yep,” Tony told him smugly. “Can’t get anything past me, Reindeer games. The only thing I can’t wrap my head around, is _ why _you did it."

Tony almost wished he hadn’t asked that when he saw how uncomfortable the question clearly made Loki.

“You welcomed me into your home when you had no reason to,” the mage murmured softly after a few painfully silent moments; his eyes downcast. “I wished to return that kindness, especially given the fact that I am directly responsible for your night terrors.”

“My night ter-” Tony paused, frowning. “Wait, you mean my dreams?" Loki's flinch was conformation enough. "You and I both know that those aren't your fault.”

Loki’s fists visibly clenched. “Aren’t they, Stark?” he demanded, finally raising his head to meet Tony's eyes. “Aren’t I the reason you turn to your beverage in the first place, that you push yourself so hard, all to avoid precious hours of sleep?” He shook his head. "It would hardly surprise me if I were the very monster that stalks you at night once you close your eyes!"

Alright, Tony had had enough of that. He walked forwards, placing a gentle hand on Loki's shoulder. "The invasion hurt you just as much as it hurt me, more so, even," he told the mage firmly. "And I have never, _ever_, held my nightmares against you."

"But I am the direct cause-"

"No," Tony cut him off. "_Thanos_," he hated seeing Loki flinch at the mention of the Titan's name, but it had to be done, "Is responsible for them, not you.” 

Loki frowned uncertainly, and in that moment, Tony was willing to do anything to make the mage feel something else.

Kissing him might have been a bad idea though, in hindsight.

Tony made it pretty damn chaste considering just how much he wanted to deepen it, but it was enough for Loki to gasp in surprise. "Stark?" he sputtered in confusion, taking a step back.

"What happened to Anthony?" Tony asked jokingly as his arm fell back to his side. When Loki didn't react beyond continuing to stare at him uncomprehendingly, he sighed. "C'mon Loki,_ talk_ to me."

The mage brought a hand to his mouth, as if to touch his lips, but then stopped. "You kissed me," he said, bluntly. "Why?"

Tony smiled softly. "I like you, Loki, a lot, and I couldn't think of a better way to show you just how wrong you are for thinking you're the monster in my dreams." He stepped forward and grabbed Loki's hand before he could step away again. "In fact, I'd say your more of the gallant prince that comes to my rescue." 

Tony didn't think Loki's eyes could get any bigger than they already were, but they did. Slowly, hesitantly, he brought his free hand up to Tony's face, cupping his cheek. "Truly?" he asked, a tinge if uncertainty in his voice.

Tony leaned into the touch, his smile softening. "Consider me your 'damsel in distress', Lokes."

Loki scoffed at that, but it was a fond scoff. Tony considered it a win either way.

"Now c’mon," he said, pulling back and gesturing for Loki to follow. "I’m in the mood for cold coffee.”

Loki had begun walking forwards, but he paused at that. “Cold?” he asked in surprise. 

“Uh, _ yeah_,” Tony said in a tone that stated he thought that was obvious. “Nothing’s better than a cold, caffeinated drink on a hot summer day.”

“You do realize that caffeinated beverages will make you warmer, yes?” Loki countered smartly as they both stepped into the elevator.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Details, Prancer.”

He pushed the button to head to the first floor, turning his head to make a quip about Loki being his personal Coffee Guru, but was cut off by a pair of cool lips pressing against his own; arms wrapping uncertainly around his middle.

Tony’s eyes fluttered closed, and he felt himself melting into Loki’s shy but determined kiss, bringing his arms around the mages neck to bring him even closer. As they parted, he sighed happily. 

“Ya know,” he said cheekily. “If you ever wanna come down to the lab and do _that_ instead of send me a coffee, I wouldn’t mind in the slightest.

Loki snorted, but his eyes shined happily. “I shall consider it,” he said.

“Please do,” Tony told him, bringing Loki back down for another kiss.

The elevator might have opened again once or twice on the way to their floor, but neither Tony nor Loki paid the people gawking at them any mind.

**Author's Note:**

> Was it as adorable as I wanted it to be? Leave me a comment and tell me!
> 
> Read ya later!!!


End file.
